Chapter 30

I t was late—the moon hung highest in the sky, casting a silver light over KySyene.

Kaxim’s gyrfalcon wings folded as he landed, almost crashing into his k?lajan .

He transmuted as his taloned feet touched the deck in a heavy thud.

The scent of steel and sweat clung to him as his muscles ached and his wounds throbbed. His mind was still on the fight.

‘Fokk,’ he cursed as he ran an eye over himself, battered and bruised, his armor torn and bloodied from battle.

Scratches, strips of blood, and gore from K’Aran’s corpse covered him, and he sighed.

The marquee was quiet, but as Kaxim ghosted through its valance, seeking the washroom, he caught a rustle.

A presence nearby, a soft, steady rhythm of exhalation.

He braced, turned the corner, and tagged Liana, standing in the shadows, her face illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the arched windows.

Her scarlet hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her expression tinged with worry.

‘Where the fokk have you been, Kaxim?’

At her whisper, he clenched his jaw and locked his limbs.

‘I’ve been busy, woman,’ he ground out.

‘I can see that, Commander. You’re wounded. Care to tell me why? Or even who you were fighting at his late hour?’ she asked.

She kept her tone deliberate and tender, not wanting to provoke his sire but needing an answer. Concern lurked in her eyes, and Kaxim sensed her tension from across the room.

His chest heaved as he caught his inhale, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. ‘I was defending your honor,’ he rasped. His voice was rough, though it had an edge of pride. ‘As for whom? Who do you think?’

She tilted her head and thought for a moment. Seconds later, her eyes widened. ‘K’Aran?’

He growled under his breath, and she bristled.

‘Is he dead? she whispered.

Kaxim chose silence instead, crossing hands over his torso and giving her a defiant chin lift.

Her eyes squeezed shut in momentary concern. ‘Commander, the Shadowings will not hesitate to come for my throat.’

‘You’ll be surprised what the Shadowings are prepared to do. After my encounter with your traitorous half-brother, I had a quick chat with K’Aran’s Second, an inky creature named K’Atun. He plans to bow at your feet and beg for mercy for K’Aran’s unsanctioned attacks on us.’

Liana slow-blinked. ‘I see.’

‘I’ll have you know that I didn’t and will never waver when the call comes to defend this kingdom or to stand in the gap for you,’ he growled.

Liana took a step closer, the silk of her gown rustling as she approached.

She studied him—his bruised knuckles, the gash across his cheek, the way his body seemed to carry a weight beyond the physical wounds.

‘I appreciate your service, Kaxim,’ she began, her voice tender but firm, ‘but I’d prefer to have you safe.’

He glanced at her then, his brow furrowing. ‘Safe?’ he echoed.

A touch of confusion crossed his features. His hands clenched into fists. ‘You’d sooner have me out of harm’s way than fighting for you?’

Liana held his gaze unwavering. ‘ Naam ,’ she said. ‘And I’d rather you told me before you take off to fight for me. We need to present a united front. I can’t have you risking your life without me knowing.’

Kaxim’s eyes flashed, and the tension in his muscles became evident as he stepped closer. ‘Why?’ he argued.

His voice was laced with a warning growl.

She raised a brow, undeterred by his imposing stance. ‘You don’t know the degree of power you have over me, do you?’

Liana’s utterance softened, but it carried the weight of truth. ‘I’m not shy to admit it. Our bond, connection, and the life we might have in the future mean so much to me. I care for you, Commander, and if anything happened to you and I didn’t know where you were or harmed, it would shatter me.’

Kaxim stiffened, caught off guard by her admission. He blinked, his hardened expression faltering for a moment.

Liana stepped closer, her hand resting on his arm, her touch gentle, grounding him to the present, to her. ‘I need to know when you intend to leave and fight for me,’ she continued, ‘but know this, Kaxim—I’ve come to honor and respect you. I care for you so much, I’d rather have you stay. I understand you’re your own man, so this isn’t me asking you to report all your movements to me. Just the ones that involve blading, gore, and death.’

His lips curled. ‘I’m flattered by your consideration.’

‘Don’t be. I’m also conflicted that no one, until you, has ever made me feel this way.’

For a moment, the silence between them thickened.

Kaxim’s heart pounded, not from battle but from the gravity of her words.

She cared for him. She wanted him—not just as her defender, but as something more.

He exhaled, his voice a soft burr, though still filled with the grit of a soldier. ‘Liana,’ he started, shaking his head, surprised by her vulnerability. ‘I cannot be anything other than the man I am: a general, a fighter, a fokkin’ warrior. You need a protector, and I’ve been charged to be that man for you. Ask me to do less, and you take my power from me. You demean my purpose.’

He paused, seeing the flicker of pain in her eyes before softening. ‘But to know that you care is heartening. I will endeavor to share my movements when they matter the most.’

Liana nodded, acknowledging his words. She understood who he was and what he stood for.

Yet, her heart ached for him in ways she couldn’t quite express. ‘ Sante , for hearing me,’ she whispered.

Without another word, she moved closer, taking his wounded arm in her clasp. ‘Let me clean these,’ she offered, pulling him towards a nearby chair.

Kaxim sat devoid of protest, his body feeling the weight of exhaustion as Liana began tending to him.

Her touch was light but steady as she wiped away the blood and grime, her fingers careful on his bruised skin.

She worked in silence, the only sounds being the quiet rasp of cloth against the dermis and the muted splash of water as she cleaned him.

She stripped him to his loincloth, and he let her, luxuriating in the sensation of her soft hands on his weary body.

Having her so close ignited him.

He hissed as his eyes fell on the sway of her tits under her sleeping gown and lower still to the shadowed cleft of her thighs.

A sharp spike of need went through him, and he threw his head back, closing his eyes and letting her care for him.

For a moment, he imagined this was what all his partnered warriors spoke of.

The love and ministration of a woman after a battle was unsurpassed.

Something passed between them in that silence—a deep, unspoken connection that pulsed beneath the surface.

When she finished, Liana stood before him, her gaze lingering on his. No words were exchanged, yet so much was understood.

They made their way to bed, the weight of the night settling over them.

Kaxim lay beside her, his body still aching from his deathly conflict, but the pain seemed distant now.

Liana reached for his hand, her fingers threading through his, and he held on as though anchoring himself to her.

They fell asleep that way—clutching each other’s hands as the night cloaked them in darkness. Bound by something far more profound than words.

The following day, a strange tension settled over the encampment.

When Ja’Kan announced at breakfast that the Shadowings were requesting an audience with Liana, she glanced at Kaxim.

He sat across her at his k?lajan’s dining table, face canted from her, inscrutable, lit up by the early sun.

‘Is this what I think it is?’ she murmured.

He sliced his eyes to her and gave her a sharp nod.

‘Bring them in,’ she told Ja’Kan.

‘In here?’

‘ Naam , I don’t believe this is a formal meeting.’

Liana knifed up in her chair as her attendant flitted away.

She didn’t have to wait long.

An assembly of Shadowings entered the marquee, their inky ghost-like black wings swirling around them like shadows.

They moved with hesitation, their faces solemn, their usual arrogance tempered by something else—fear.

Liana’s eyes widened as one of the ghost-like creatures stepped forward and knelt before her. ‘Your Majesty,’ he said, his deliverance respectful, almost reverent. ‘I come with sad news. Our chief, K’Aran, is no more. He now flies with Khiron in the everlasting skies. My name is K’Atun, and I am the Shadowing’s new leader. We have come to pledge our allegiance.’

Liana glanced at Kaxim, who stood beside her.

His expression was unreadable, but his eyes gleamed with quiet satisfaction.

‘You promise utmost loyalty now?’ Liana’s voice was steady, though a hint of curiosity colored her words. ‘After years of defiance?’

K’Atun bowed his head lower. ‘We have seen the strength of your crown and respect your leadership in battle and on the throne. We also seek the same quietude and security for Ilkan and our families that the Silkanth tribes do. We just want to stop the pointless suffering. The Shadowings will serve the Queen from this day forth without needless conflict.’

Liana’s gaze flicked to Kaxim again, filled with a quiet gratitude.

This shift towards peace was timely, for she had no desire to fight a war of attrition on two fronts.

She nodded once, accepting the inky creatures’ submission.

‘Very well, K’Atun,’ she murmured. ‘Rise, and let peace reign between us.’

When the Shadowings left, Kaxim’s hand brushed against her shoulder, a gesture that spoke volumes.

He strode back to his seat as she pondered how their bond, already tested by war and treachery, had grown stronger.

Kaxim had more than proved his loyalty with words and action—fierce, unrelenting, and potent.

She studied him, now seated back at the table, sipping from his mug of steaming kahawa . His silver eyes glowed at her, but there was no masking it.

Her new husband was a force of pure, unadulterated terror, ready to kill at all costs.

For her.

Liana smiled to herself.

She fokkin’ loved it.